Sterling, VA (September 5, 2016) – Dominion senior Tommy Christ has commit to play football for the University of Virginia beginning the 2017/2018 academic school year.

“It was such a relief when I made my decision and commit to play football for UVA, shared Christ. I really enjoyed the recruiting process, but after a while, I felt that dragging on the process would only be for selfish reasons. It was definitely easier just talking to one school.”

Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University of Virginia is currently ranked #26 in the U.S. News & World Report 2016 edition of Best Colleges in the Nation. UVA’s graduate programs include the highly ranked Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, Curry School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Law and School of Medicine. The beautiful grounds of UVA have always been admired for its unique Jeffersonian architecture, which includes the famous Rotunda. The American Institute of Architects called the rolling landscape and gorgeous buildings, “the proudest achievement of American architecture in the past 200 years.” Additionally, a Gallup survey examining the long-term success of college graduates across the country, University of Virginia alumni surpassed national averages in employment, engagement at work, well-being and attachment to their alma mater.

“I felt very blessed to have had an early recruiting process, shared Christ. My high school coach, Karl Buckwalter, did an amazing job bringing in colleges from all around the county. Knowing how hard the process was on my older brothers, Matt (Virginia Tech) and Mike (Monmouth), my family and I were nothing but grateful for all the attention we received. I ended up with 20 offers before I made my commitment in April this year.”

“I commit to UVA because it’s close to home, is highly respected for being such a great school with an excellent academic program, and has a great coaching staff that made me feel at home. It will also be fun being a rival to my older brother Matt.”

Christ’s head football coach will be Bronco Mendenhall. Mendenhall was named UVA’s head coach on December 4, 2015 after serving as the head football coach at Brigham Young University. During his 11-year tenure at BYU, Mendenhall compiled an overall record of 99-43, and ranks 13th in winning percentage (.697) among all active NCAA coaches with at least 5-years of experience and 10th among those with 10-years of experience.

“Tommy is a person that leads by his work ethic on and off the field, said Dominion head football coach Karl Buckwalter. He has a high motor on the field that makes him stand out. I have had the pleasure of coaching all four of the Christ boys. Mike plays for Monmouth, Matt plays for Virginia Tech, Tommy is going to play for UVA, and Jimmy is starting on varsity for us as a freshman on the offensive line. They are all very kind and caring young men. They step up and help in any situation necessary. It is difficult to talk about one without mentioning all of them.”

Christ, the 2015 VHSL 4A All-Region and All-Loudoun Team Offensive Lineman, and All-Conference 21A first team offensive and defensive line selection, has played football since the age of seven. When asked about one of his fondest gridiron memories during that time, Tommy shared, “One of my fondest football memories occurred during my freshman year in high school when I was able to road trip with the Dominion football team during their 2013 playoff run. It was my first time being on the same team as my two older brothers, and watching them play on the offensive line together was very exciting. It was also amazing to dress and travel with the team that had the best football record in Dominion High School history!”

“There are a lot of people that I am thankful for, said Tommy. I’d first like to thank my parents and brothers for all their support throughout the recruiting process. My parents invested a ton of time racing me everywhere imaginable just so I could have the opportunity to be seen by coaches. My older brothers gave me tips and supported me through everything, which meant a lot because the process was stressful at times.”

“I would also like to thank my head coach, Karl Buckwalter. If it wasn’t for Coach Buck, I have no idea where my brothers and I would be today. He definitely takes pride in sending players to the next level and I am proud to have had the opportunity to play for him.”

Asked what advice he’d give others pursuing their dream, Tommy shared, “Push to be the hardest worker on your team, and don’t get discouraged if it seems that you aren’t getting much attention right away. Work hard and the opportunities will present themselves.”

Please join us in wishing Tommy Christ the very best on the gridiron and in the classroom as he pursues an accounting degree from the University of Virginia.